


i'll choose to love you anyway

by yawwwrp



Category: K-pop, Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Secret Crush, Slow Burn, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29309628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yawwwrp/pseuds/yawwwrp
Summary: Minho and Changbin are arranged to be married and they're not particularly happy about it.Or:How To Learn To Love by Lee Minho and Seo Changbin, aka idiots.
Relationships: Lee Minho | Lee Know/Seo Changbin
Comments: 104
Kudos: 91





	1. i ain't ready for the altar

**Author's Note:**

> heyo!
> 
> i hope y'all are doin okay my friends!  
> i started writing this bc.... well idk to be honest  
> story title comes from Dahlia by (G)I-DLE and chapter title comes from Sister Golden Hair by America (I prefer the Jack's Mannequin version)
> 
> anyways! wishing you all a great tuesday!

“You can’t just sell me off like a camel!”

Minho’s parents exchanged an exhausted look as Minho banged his fist on the dining table.

“It’s 2021 who even does arranged marriages anymore?! What are we, a medieval kingdom?!”

“Minho, please calm down. As we explained to you earlier, this is simply to ensure that both our business and the Seo’s will be financially stable and remain our own property.”

His mom offered him a weak smile but Minho didn’t want to hear a word of what she said.

“So that’s why I have to marry their son. So we can all stay rich and happy and I will just lead a miserable life in a loveless marriage.”

This was absolutely ridiculous. He had met the Seo’s son, Changbin, only once about ten years ago and was not impressed. He just seemed like another rich kid and Minho had no interest in getting to know him better, let alone marry the guy.

“You will only need to portray a happy marriage in public. What you do behind closed doors is all up to you. However”, his dad got up and made his way over to leave the room, signifying that this was the end of their conversation, “There will be no scandals. Understood? The wedding is in three months.”

As the days went by, Minho resigned himself more and more to his terrible fate. His friends Jisung, Seungmin and Chan still found the whole thing a farce but at least Chan tried his best to cheer him up a bit.

“Look, maybe you’ll get along just fine. Ten years is a long time and you don’t even really know him, so maybe he’s a nice guy.”

Minho rolled his eyes at him as Seungmin fixed his outfit. Their families had decided not to do a wedding rehearsal and now that Minho looked at himself in the mirror in his stupid groom’s outfit, he didn’t know if that was a smart decision. Today would be the first time that he sees Changbin and he couldn’t even imagine what he looked like now.

“It’ll be fine.” Jisung clapped Minho on his back with a weak smile. “You look great.”

Changbin was not at all how he remembered him. He was still short, though he of course had grown a bit, and he was probably still a spoiled rich kid, but Minho couldn’t help but appreciate the view. Over the years, Changbin apparently gained quite a lot of muscle and he gave Minho a bright smile when Minho entered the church.

“Hi… nice to meet you, I guess”, he whispered to Minho who just raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yeah.”

“Isn’t this kind of weird?”

Minho thought that he could maybe see a hint of pink on Changbin’s cheeks and he let out a sigh.

“Let’s just get this over with.”

The ceremony itself was just a bunch of blah blah from the priest to Minho and all he could think about was the reception. He really should have eaten something before the whole thing started. At one point, he looked over at Changbin and almost let out a laugh when he could hear the other’s stomach growl and watched as Changbin’s eyes widened in embarrassment. At least they had one thing in common, he guessed.

“You may now kiss.”

The priest’s words ripped Minho from his thoughts and he turned to Changbin who looked bashful, a small smile on his face. He didn’t move a muscle and Minho couldn’t resist rolling his eyes before he pulled Changbin close to put a quick kiss on his surprisingly soft lips.

Changbin let out a surprised noise that Minho almost found cute but the kiss was over as quickly as it had begun and he slipped his hand in Changbin’s to make their way out of the church.

The short ride to the location of the wedding reception was quiet except for the sound of Changbin tapping away at his phone. He eventually slipped it back into his pocket and let out a sigh.

“I’m starving.”

Minho hummed as he stared out the window. “Me too.”

They split up once they got to the location to talk to each of their families and friends and didn’t see each other again until they sat down at the table while the waiters brought them course after course of delicious food.

Changbin nudged him in the side as he eyed his dish. “Will you trade me a bite of your meat for this?”

“Can’t you just ask them for another serving?”

Minho’s mother cleared her throat and he looked over at her giving him a glare with narrowed eyes. Against his will, he cut off a piece of his meat and moved it to Changbin’s plate who thanked him more times than necessary. What a piece of work.

They didn’t have to do a first dance, thankfully and after a while, most of the guests were either at the bar or dancing which left Minho to join his friends at their table. He watched a group of guys flock to the empty chairs at Changbin’s table and assumed that they were his friends.

“He’s handsome”, Jisung stated once Minho had sat down with them. “Is he nice?”

Chan handed Minho a drink that he gulped down in one go. “He’s annoying.”

“Give him a chance, Minho. You’ll move in together tomorrow, right? Maybe if you spend more time together it’ll be alright.”

Minho couldn’t stand Chan’s optimism right now and glanced back over to Changbin for a moment. He clinked glasses with his friends and Minho watched as they laughed about something, probably Minho, while Changbin looked embarrassed. There had to be some way to get out of this whole deal, right?

Once the party was over and the guests left, Changbin and Minho made their way up to the hotel room that was booked for them. Their walk was silent and Minho internally begged that his parents honored his wish to at least have two beds in the room, though his heart sank once they unlocked the door. One bed, of course.

Changbin rubbed his neck nervously. “Uhm, I can take the floor if you want? Or the bathtub or something.”

He would love to say yes to that offer, though Minho was pretty sure Changbin would rat him out to their parents and Minho didn’t really want to get into a fight with his parents over something as stupid as this.

“It’s fine.”

He watched as Changbin nodded slowly, grabbing some clothes and disappearing into the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for bed. Minho sat down on the bed and unbuttoned his shirt while he waited and let the reality sink in. He was married now. A married man. Married to someone he didn’t know, didn’t like and didn’t want to get to know.

His train of thought was interrupted when Changbin stepped out of the bathroom in an outfit that caught Minho off guard. He would have expected some designer silk pajamas or something but Changbin wore a ratty old t-shirt that had a small hole on the side and worn out flannel pants, looking nothing like the spoiled rich brat he expected.

“The bathroom’s free”, he said in a quiet voice as he walked over to the bed, sliding in on the side Minho was not sitting on. Minho spurred himself into action and left, mind still caught on a messy haired Changbin.

When he returned a few minutes later, freshly showered, teeth brushed and extremely exhausted, Changbin was already asleep, back facing Minho. Minho let out one last long sigh as he slid into bed and turned on his side to turn his back towards Changbin’s and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	2. don't expect too much from me or you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayoooooo~
> 
> this chapter is really short for no reason i'm sorry :(  
> the next one is going to be a bit longer!
> 
> chapter title comes from Stinger by Razorlight
> 
> hope you're having a fresh day/night! :D

Moving into the new house only took them two days with the help of a moving company and throughout those two days, Minho and Changbin barely crossed paths. The house, basically just a modern mansion, was big enough for both of them to not really be in each other's space and Minho at first thought that Changbin probably thinks he’s too good for Minho to even talk to him. After being angry for a while though he realized that he himself didn’t actually want to spend time with the other either and so his anger turned into indifference.

Every now and then they would run into each other in the kitchen, getting food or coffee, and Changbin always offered him a smile and tried to start a conversation. If there’s one thing Minho hated, it’s smalltalk. His usual tactic was just to get out of there before Changbin could open his mouth and just come back later when he was gone.

This went on for a week until Minho got fed up with it and decided that this was just as much his house and he didn’t have to hide from Changbin, choosing instead to just blatantly ignore him whenever he tried to strike up a conversation.

The early afternoon sun was streaming through the window into Changbin’s bedroom on the first floor as he was sprawled out on his bed talking on the phone with his friends.

“It’s just frustrating, you know? We’re stuck together, literally for the rest of our lives, and he can’t even say hello?”

Felix sighed on the other end. “Are you sure this is just about smalltalk?”

“It is. I just think we should become friends. It would make the whole thing less awkward and painful.”

He heard Hyunjin snort a laugh, quickly interrupted by Jeongin. “Did you tell him that?”

“I didn’t even get a chance to. He just ignores me.”

“Alright, we’ll just stop by in an hour and rope him into spending some time with us and his betrothed”, Hyunjin suggested. “You always say we’re irresistible, so we’ll help you out.”

“I said you guys are annoying, not irresistible.”

An hour later, Minho stopped by the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee just to find four pairs of eyes staring at him.

“What are you guys doing here?”

Hyunjin couldn’t help himself. “See, I told you he can speak, Bin.”

Minho narrowed his eyes at him and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “So now we’re just inviting people over whenever we want?”

“They’re my friends, Minho.” Changbin motioned towards them. “Felix, Hyunjin, Jeongin.”

“Whatever.” 

Minho turned his back on them and focused on the task at hand, which was getting coffee. Someone else spoke up behind him after clearing his throat.

“Would you like to have a drink with us? Or coffee, I guess? I brought some cake.”

He turned around to see Felix hold up a box of cake with a smile.

“I promise it’s not poisoned.”

This is how Minho, Changbin and Changbin’s friends found themselves sitting in awkward silence in the living room, shoveling cakes into their mouths and glancing from person to person without making direct eye contact.

“I heard you’re no longer dancing… what do you do now, Minho?”

Hyunjin’s voice cut through the stillness of the room and everyone’s eyes turned to Minho.

“I work for my father’s company. Like, two days a week.”

The others nodded in understanding and Jeongin tried his best to keep the conversation going.

“So basically you’re doing the same thing as Bin! That’s a shame that both of you gave up something you were really talented in, though.”

Minho’s eyes drifted over to Changbin for a moment and he couldn’t help but furrow his brows. What on earth was Changbin’s talent? Probably something stupid, like becoming a bodybuilder judging by the muscles. Changbin seemed uncomfortable by the choice of topic and kept his eyes fixed to the ground as he finished his piece of cake.

“Anyways, I think Hyunjin still has a picture of you in his locker at the dance academy because he saw you as his rival-”

Hyunjin elbowed Jeongin in the side to get him to shut up but the damage was already done. From that point on, their conversations, though mostly banter and teasing, flowed easily and by the time it got dark and Changbin’s friends left, Minho actually felt a lot better.

“Hey, I’m sorry for having them over without telling you in advance-”

“It’s fine.”

The cold atmosphere between them was back as soon as Changbin’s friends had left. Changbin let out a long sigh.

“Look, Minho. Can’t we just act like… normal human beings? Did I upset you or anything? I’m not expecting you to be head over heels for me, but we can at least talk normally, no?”

Minho bit back a comment. In a way, it wasn’t fair of him to be rude to Changbin - it’s not like Changbin was the one who set up the marriage, their parents had. So Changbin was just as much trapped with Minho as Minho was with him.

“Alright.”

“Alright?”

“Yeah, fine.”

Changbin just stared at him for a moment before he nodded slowly. “Okay.”

That’s how they started watching tv together occasionally, still not really speaking to each other, but at least they had the same taste in movies and that was probably the best they could get out of this, Changbin thought. 


	3. love don't live here anymore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys!
> 
> wishing you all a happy valentines day! :)  
> chapter title comes from What's It Like by You Me At Six
> 
> stay healthy and have a good day/night! :D

A month into their scam of a marriage, Minho caught himself making popcorn for both of them while Changbin chose a movie and the strange domesticity of it all made his head spin for a moment. As long as Changbin didn’t open his mouth to start a conversation, he thought he might be fine with the whole thing actually.

They were only ten minutes into their movie when the power went out, accompanied by loud thunder and the strong wind flinging raindrops against the big windows in the living room. It was barely past seven in the evening but the sky was so dark that it seemed much later.

Changbin let out a yelp and scooted closer to Minho on the couch out of reflex, staring at him with wide eyes.

“I guess a fuse blew”, Minho sighed. “I’ll go.”

Unfortunately it wasn’t just a fuse. The entire neighborhood had a blackout and so Changbin and Minho dragged a few candles into the living room to wait it out. Minho didn’t question it until he realized that now that the tv was out, he had no actual reason to be in the living room with Changbin and could just as well go up to his bedroom.

Changbin on the other hand didn’t seem too comfortable in the dark and Minho almost pushed him away roughly when Changbin kept glueing himself to Minho’s side. He got up to make his way to the bedroom and call it a night but Changbin’s hand reached out to grab his wrist and stop him from leaving.

“Where are you going?”

The alarmed tone of his voice made Minho let out a sigh.

“To bed. There’s nothing to do until the power comes back on.”

Changbin just stared at him silently for a minute, still not letting go of his wrist. “Could you stay with me? Please?”

“What? Are you scared of the dark?”

“Not scared! I just… I feel uncomfortable. In the dark, alone, in this huge house.”

A bolt of lightning illuminated the living room through the big window panes for a second and Minho felt his heart grow heavy as he sat back down on the couch next to Changbin.

“Fine.”

They sat in silence for a while before Changbin sprawled out a big more on the couch, lying on his back and looking up at Minho who was tapping away on his phone.

“I’m sorry that you’re stuck with me.”

The sentence was barely audible over the loud thunder outside and Changbin flinched slightly at the sound. Minho’s gaze dropped down to look at Changbin.

“It’s not your fault.”

“I know, I just… sorry that it’s me.”

Minho couldn’t hold back a snort. “If it wasn’t you, it would have been some other rich kid. What’s the difference?”

He winced at his words as soon as they left his mouth. Maybe that was a bit harsh.

Changbin looked hurt for a moment before putting on the usual smile, though it seemed to not quite reach his eyes this time.

“Can I ask you something?”

“You’re going to ask anyway, even if I say no.”

He watched as Changbin changed his position and sat up, turning to face Minho. “I understand that this is not an ideal situation… well, it’s a pretty bad situation. Do you have a girlfriend? Or boyfriend? Is that why you’re so cold to me?”

Minho raised an eyebrow at him and shifted his gaze towards the storm raging outside.

“I don’t have either. Marriage is pointless, I never wanted to get married.”

Changbin hummed in response and there was a long pause where neither of them said anything before Changbin spoke up.

“I see.” He shifted around on the couch again, bringing his legs up against his chest, tucking his knees under his chin. “I was in a long relationship a few years ago…”

“I didn’t ask.”

Changbin continued on as if Minho hadn’t said anything. “I wanted to marry that person, I really did. I was head over heels, already thinking about the wedding and the married life, a house and a family…”

He trailed off and curiosity got the better of Minho. “What happened?”

Changbin shrugged next to him and when Minho looked over he saw a sad expression on his face.

“It wasn’t real love, apparently. Just like the ones before, my ex was only dating me for the money. I heard the nasty things that were being said about me, the gossip and bad mouthing from my ex’s friends.”

Minho didn’t really know how to respond and so it was quiet again, only the sound of rain, wind and thunder breaking the silence between them. After a while, Changbin took a deep breath and sighed.

“Anyways!” He turned to smile at Minho. “That’s why I told myself that I wouldn’t get into any relationships anymore. No love for this guy.” He pointed his thumbs at himself. “But you know, I would still like to be friends with you. If you want to.”

Suddenly, the tv turned back on as well as the lamp in the corner of the room. Minho looked away from Changbin and back to the tv, picking up the remote.

“Should we watch the movie now?”


	4. diamonds do appear to be just like broken glass to me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!!! :D
> 
> sorry this update is so late, i will try my best to post a couple hours earlier from now on again, just had a super busy monday at work  
> i hope y'all are starting this week well and happily! :)
> 
> chapter title is from Northern Downpour by Panic At The Disco (back when they were still 4 :'( )
> 
> have a great day/night! everyone~

The room was bright around Minho when he blinked his eyes open, the storm outside having made way to a clear sky and the first morning rays of sun. The movie must have ended ages ago, the tv showing the selection screen. He tried to sit up but when he moved, he noticed the heavy weight on his side. Sometime during the movie, both him and Changbin must have fallen asleep and fallen to the side, effectively ending up lying on the couch with Changbin being draped all over Minho’s side. His body was warm where Changbin’s pressed against him and he felt comfortable, sleepy and he almost wanted to close his eyes again and drift right back to sleep but forced himself to detangle himself from Changbin and slide off the couch.

Changbin stirred a little in his sleep but it didn’t seem like he woke up at all and so Minho made his way to the bathroom to wash up. Afterwards, he returned back to the living room to find Changbin still asleep on the couch and sluggishly entered the kitchen to prepare some breakfast.

He was focused on the stove and distracted enough to not notice Changbin joining him in the kitchen a little while later, making him jump when he turned around and saw the other sitting at the kitchen island with messy hair and half opened eyes.

“Can I… coffee?”

His voice was rough from sleep and under different circumstances, Minho would have found it insanely attractive. He poured him a cup of the coffee he had made a few minutes ago and slid it across the island to Changbin who offered him a tired smile as a thanks.

When Minho turned back to the pan on the stove, he realized that he had actually prepared breakfast for both of them and rolled his eyes at himself. He needed to stop this whole domestic thing happening with him, but hey, Changbin wanted to be friends right? So maybe sharing breakfast would be a good start.

Once they had finished their breakfast, Changbin stretched himself lazily and looked out the window.

“It’s nice today.”

Minho hummed in response while loading the dishes into the dishwasher.

“Do you want to do something?”

Right. Friends. “Sure.”

When Minho stopped the car at the side of a pebble road next to a large empty field, he gave Changbin a confused look and killed the engine.

“Are you sure we’re not lost?”

Changbin shook his head, unbuckling his seatbelt and was already getting out of the car before Minho even unbuckled his.

“I came here almost every day when I still went to school. Just took my bike and came here.”

He grabbed Minho by the arm and pulled him further into the field, eventually stopping by a nearby tree where the ground was either still dry or already dry again and folding out a picnic blanket he had brought along, dropping his bag of snacks and drinks onto it before sitting down.

“This is where you came?”

Changbin nodded, pulling out a bottle of water and handing it to Minho once he had sat down on the blanket. He ignored Minho’s doubtful look and lied down on his back, eyes watching the blue sky above them.

“I didn’t really have any friends back then so I just came here and to read or write or just… you know. Exist.”

He closed his eyes and a satisfied smile spread across his face. Minho felt out of place, for some reason. In the middle of this lonely field, only hearing the sound of birds passing by or the chirping of bugs, it wasn’t exactly what he had pictured for someone like Changbin.

Minho could admit he was prejudiced when it came to the other. When Changbin suggested doing something, he thought they would go to some expensive designer shop at a mall or for a fancy lunch or something. But here, Changbin seemed completely content and comfortable, as if he could finally take a breath and let go of all his tension. Maybe Minho was projecting because the longer they stayed in the field, the more he felt his worries and anger about his whole situation drift away from him until they were as far out of his sight as the rows of houses on the outskirts of town, on the other side of the trees at the edge of the field.

“How come you didn't have friends?”, Minho asked after a while and he thought for a second that maybe Changbin had fallen asleep until he saw the other open one eye to look at him.

“You know, teenagers. They don’t really like rich kids. Bullied me a lot. But that builds character, I guess.”

The more Changbin shared about his life with Minho, the worse he felt for being so rude towards him. Maybe Changbin wasn’t just some spoiled brat after all.

When the sun sank lower on the sky and Minho checked his watch so see it was five in the afternoon already, they packed up and made their way back home.

Both of them were dreading the industry event in the evening that they had to attend, especially since it would be their first official outing as a married couple and on top of that a snooty black tie event. On the drive home, they tried to come up with a gameplan.

“We just have to act like a couple right?”

Changbin nodded slowly, unsure of where Minho was going with this. “Right.”

“Okay so let’s just hold hands here and there and network with people separately and it won’t be awkward.”

He received no reply from Changbin but was positive that he had heard him and took his silence as an agreement.

In another life, maybe Minho would have actually dated Changbin for real. He had that thought on their wedding day and he had it again now, seeing Changbin enter his bedroom in a black suit and a bowtie, forehead exposed and a shy smile on his face. He looked amazing.

“How do I look?”

Minho pushed his thoughts out of his mind and walked to the front door. “Fine. Let’s go, we shouldn’t be late.”

They arrived at the event on time and somehow bonded over their shared disgust of pricey champagne and weird french appetizers.

“I just don’t understand, you know? Why would I want to eat frogs or snails or stuff like that. Can’t they just have like, pigs in a blanket or something?”

Minho shrugged in response and tensed up when he saw his parents walking towards them. He quickly grabbed Changbin’s hand who gave him a confused look until he spotted Minho’s parents as well.

“There you two are!” Minho’s mother pulled them into a quick hug before looking them both up and down. “Don’t you two look dashing!”

“Not nearly as dashing as you, Mrs. Lee”, Changbin replied and Minho had to hold himself back from high fiving him for the smooth response.

His mother waved the compliment off and both of his parents were whisked away by some chairman and his lady friend not a minute later, leaving Changbin and Minho to stand by themselves again.

From then on, they split up to make the rounds and talk to important people, running into each other every now and then. It could have been worse, honestly, as far as Minho was concerned. At least that’s what he thought until he bumped into his mother again at the bar.

“Minho”, she pulled him aside and her voice dropped to a whisper as she leaned in, “I understand your marriage might not be going like you want it to, however people are talking. No one’s buying that the marriage is real. Remember what we said.”

She left him with a last stern look and Minho accepted his drink from the bartender with a sigh. Great. He ordered another one and located Changbin a few minutes later, joining in on the conversation he was having with two directors of a big manufacturing company.

“Good evening, gentlemen”, Minho greeted the two, before handing the second drink over to a surprised looking Changbin and grabbing his free hand to interlace their fingers. The directors raised an eyebrow at them but continued their conversation, though it took Changbin a moment to focus on it again.

They left not long after and Minho let go of Changbin’s hand.

“What was that all about?”

Minho finished his drink before explaining. “Ran into my mom. People think the marriage is fake so we have to put a better act on.”

When he turned to look at Changbin, he couldn’t really decipher the other’s look, but Changbin didn’t say anything further. For the remainder of the night, the two of them stuck together, holding hands and making sure to not be seen separately by anyone.


	5. sleeping alone is starting to break me down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys!! :)
> 
> i hope y'all are doin well today!  
> i'm already looking forward to the weekend even tho it's only tuesday :(
> 
> chapter title is from Too Much by All Time Low
> 
> wishing everyone a great day/night! :D

The air was freezing and the light in his room was too bright when Minho woke up late the next morning. It was a Saturday and Minho had been looking forward to meeting up with his friends later but that seemed impossible now.

Every single muscle in his body hurt and his head felt heavy. It took him a while to drag himself out of bed, wrapping himself in a sweatshirt, a hoodie and a robe - and he still felt too cold. When he entered the kitchen, he found Changbin munching on a bagel while laughing at some video on his phone. Changbin noticed him shuffling in and looked up with a guilty face.

“I’m sorry, I ate the last sesame bagel.”

Minho waved him off and pulled the robe tighter around himself before opening the fridge. He wasn’t hungry at all but he should probably eat something to get his strength back.

“Are you cold?”

With a sigh, Minho closed the fridge again and turned around to face Changbin who had gotten up and walked over to him with a concerned look on his face. He reached out to place his hand on Minho’s forehead and frowned.

“You have a fever.”

Right now, Minho was insanely happy to be married. Changbin tucked him back into bed and brought him a hot mug of tea before sitting down at the foot end of the bed, watching him to make sure he actually drank the tea.

“I wanted to go out today…” Minho’s voice sounds sleepy, slurred and a little raspy and Changbin shakes his head at him.

“No chance.” He gestured towards Minho’s laptop. “Do you want to watch something with me instead?”

Minho shrugged in response and watched Changbin as he brought the laptop over to the bed, then disappeared from his room again. Didn’t he say he wanted to watch something together?

He kept sipping the tea Changbin had brought him until the other returned to his room with a bunch of blankets in his arms.

“You have to sweat out your fever”, he stated as he piled them over Minho, eventually squeezing into bed with him and cuddling with the mountain of blankets Minho was wrapped into. “What should we watch?”

After binge watching some comedy show for a few hours, they both fell asleep. When Minho woke up again, it was already dark outside and he shoveled himself free from some of the blankets to close the laptop and take it off the bed.

Changbin was still curled up next to him but Minho felt cold just watching him lying there in a t-shirt and shorts. Maybe his brain was still asleep because he just pulled Changbin closer to himself under some of the blankets, using the rest to separate the two of them so Changbin wouldn’t get sick as well. Changbin immediately slung an arm around Minho’s waist and let out a content sigh, though he didn’t wake up.

Surrounded by the warmth of blankets and Changbin’s body heat, Minho felt his eyelids flutter closed again and he drifted off back to sleep.

Both Minho and Changbin were woken up the next morning by Changbin’s alarm going off even though it was a Sunday. Changbin scrambled for his phone under the blanket and turned it off quickly before giving Minho an apologetic, still sleepy, look.

“Sorry, I forgot to turn it off yesterday.”

Minho just blinked at him with a blank expression and watched as Changbin’s eyes opened a bit wider and a faint blush spread across his cheeks upon realizing the position he was in.

Somehow, Changbin had burrowed himself closer to Minho during the night so they were both trapped underneath the blankets together, Minho’s arm around Changbin’s shoulders, lines from Minho’s clothes on Changbin’s face.

“Oh god…” Changbin hastily scooted back on the bed. “Sorry, I’m so sorry, I-”

“It’s fine.”

Minho sat up a little bit and stretched his neck. He felt much better today and was actually really hungry. “Can you check if I still have a fever?”

Changbin nodded slowly, his face still a shade pinker than usual and leaned forward to check his temperature.

“Seems like you broke the fever.”

“Okay, good. I’ll take a shower now.”

Changbin nodded but made no intention to leave until Minho made a face at him.

After the shower, Minho felt like a new person. He still felt a bit tired but overall he wasn’t in any pain and when he went downstairs, he saw that Changbin had ordered take out for both of them.

“Thanks.”

He took the box Changbin handed him and sat down at the dining table. Changbin joined him a moment later, nervously fumbling with the styrofoam box.

“About earlier… I’m sorry I was, uh… cuddling with you.”

Minho raised an eyebrow at him but focused his attention on the food right after. God, he was starving.

“You’ve done it before.”

Changbin let out a choked noise. “What?! God, okay, I’m so-”

“If you say sorry one more time I will stab you with my chopsticks.”

Minho ate his food with a blank expression as Changbin bit his lip. “But…”

“Look.” Minho let out a sigh and looked up at Changbin again. “We’re stuck together anyway, right? So cuddling is fine with me. Otherwise we’ll end up like some touch starved freaks or something.”

There was a long pause that hung heavy in the air, Changbin staring at Minho with wide eyes while Minho gave him an expectant look.

“Deal?”

“Deal.”


	6. this strange feeling, this breathtaking attraction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> helloooo friends~
> 
> i hope y'all are having a swell day!  
> i have another lil short story coming a little later today after i finish work, just a heads up
> 
> chapter title is from Move by Taemin (unrelated but last night i dreamt that my dad had a serbian coworker called taemin who died :/)
> 
> have a super fresh day/night everyone! :D

On Monday, Changbin sat Minho down in the living room with a serious expression though his restless hands gave his nervousness away. Minho raised an eyebrow at him as he sat down on the couch, facing Changbin.

“What did you want to talk about?”

Changbin seemed to be at war with himself for a moment before he let out a long sigh.

“I think we should make house rules.”

“Alright, I’ll handle the kitchen, you’ll do floor sweeping and stuff.”

Minho was about to get up and leave but Changbin pushed him back down on the couch gently but firmly.

“That’s not what I meant.” He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. “I meant… marriage rules.”

The mood changed in an instant and Minho crossed his arms in front of his chest, somehow in a defensive mood for no discernible reason.

“What do you mean?”

“Uh, well… I have a question, first off.”

Minho waited for Changbin to actually ask but he refused to make eye contact, dragging out the awkward silence between them until he cleared his throat to speak again.

“Do you want to have people come over to fuck?”

Minho couldn’t help the surprised expression making its way onto his face. “Excuse me?”

“Well, I mean. People have needs, so I just thought-”

“You thought I’m a cheater.”

Changbin’s eyes widened as he waved his hands through the air. “No, that’s not what I meant!”

“This marriage isn’t exactly what I wanted but I would never cheat on a partner, real or fake.”

“Okay.” Changbin nodded and Minho hoped he understood that he was being serious. “Okay, well then… I thought we could, you know. Do what you said the other day. Cuddle. And maybe hold hands?”

The now familiar blush was back on Changbin’s cheeks.

“Hold hands.”

“I like… holding hands.”

“Fine.” The heavy silence was back and Minho felt the need to ask, “Do you want to fuck someone?”

Changbin choked on his spit and Minho almost laughed at his reaction.

“No! No.” A long pause. “I have uh… feelings for someone. Who will never like me back, so I have no interest in… that.”

Well, that was a surprising turn of events. “Care to elaborate?”

Changbin shook his head and left the living room before Minho could interrogate him further, leaving him with more questions than he had had before he sat down.

Over the course of the week, Changbin and Minho would end up cuddling in front of the tv more often than not, sometimes holding hands, sometimes busy sharing snacks instead. They still didn’t really talk with one another, but the little soft touches they shared made their living arrangement more comfortable. Twice, Changbin followed Minho to bed, mumbling something about feeling chilly even though it was a warm summer night and curled up under the covers next to Minho. Unfortunately for Minho, this also meant that he started to feel weird about it.

At first, he felt kind of awkward when Changbin curled up next to him, resting his arm on Minho’s chest. He felt stiff and strange putting his arm around Changbin. He felt nervous when Changbin would run his hand absentmindedly across his chest or his arm or his thigh. Something felt off about the whole thing and Minho just couldn’t figure out what exactly it was.

After a few days, Changbin informed him that his birthday was coming up and asked if it would be okay for his friends to come over to celebrate. Minho didn’t really have any objections, his friends seemed nice, though he was surprised when Changbin asked if Minho would like to invite his friends as well.

“Why do you want them at your birthday party?”

Changbin just shrugged as he poured a cup of coffee and handed it over to Minho before pouring one for himself. “I didn’t really get to talk to them at the wedding and they haven’t even seen our bomb ass house yet.”

And with that, both Changbin’s and Minho’s friends were invited.

All six of their friends showed up around the same time on Friday evening which Minho found suspicious until Chan revealed that they had actually befriended each other at the wedding and texted every now and then. Somehow none of them had mentioned any of this to Changbin or Minho who were left to exchange a confused look between each other.

As the night wore on, the whole group found themselves huddled around the coffee table in the living room, either sitting on the couch or on the floor, even though they had a perfectly good, way too big dining table.

Minho was feeling the booze a bit and found it hard to focus on the conversations going on at times. Beside him, Changbin had started to tilt a bit into his direction, little by little, until he was plastered onto Minho’s side, sliding his hand into Minho’s. He was pretty sure it was because he was tipsy, but Minho just shifted his position a bit to make it more comfortable for Changbin and rubbed the back of Changbin’s hand, not realizing that the others were talking to him until he heard Seungmin mention his name.

“I didn’t know you two are so close now, Minho.”

Hyunjin raised an eyebrow at their position. “Are you two fucking?”

Changbin, who had been taking a sip of his drink, choked and coughed a few times before regaining his voice. “No, oh my god! No. We just… you know, cuddle. It’s nothing romantic or, uh, sexual.”

Felix let out a suggestive whistle that Minho quickly waved off. He caught Jisung making a face at them for a moment before he got back to his conversation with Jeongin.

It didn’t take everyone long to be enthralled in their own conversations again but Minho’s eyes drifted over to Changbin sitting next to him, animatedly discussing something with Chan. His gaze trailed from Changbin’s face down to his neck, his chest and Minho had to catch himself and turn away before anyone noticed his staring.


	7. you may be poison, but sure as hell taste like honey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!!!
> 
> this chapter is pretty short, my apologies :(  
> next ones are a bit longer!
> 
> chapter title is from Oh My God by (G)I-DLE
> 
> hope yall are having a fresh day/night! :D

At some point, everyone decided it was getting too late or they were getting too drunk to stay awake and Minho and Changbin did their best to find beds or a couch for each of their friends to sleep in. Minho dragged Changbin into his room by the wrist after they had bid everyone a good night and earned a curious look from Changbin.

“Seungmin and Hyunjin took over your bed, are you going to sleep on the floor?”, Minho asked by way of an explanation though Changbin didn’t answer.

Once they had crawled into bed, Changbin immediately slung an arm around his waist and let out a content noise but this time, Minho didn’t just lie there on his back and instead turned onto his side to face Changbin in the dim light of the moon streaming into his room. Changbin looked confused at his sudden interest in initiating some cuddle time with him until Minho reached up to stroke his cheek softly.

“Pretty.” He couldn’t help but smile at Changbin’s surprised expression to his whispered words. “You’re really handsome.”

“I.. uh, thanks. I’m not, really. You are… handsome, I mean.”

Cute. Minho felt light headed and drowsy from exhaustion and intoxication and he threw all his cards to the wind. His hand cupped Changbin’s face and he let his thumb trail down to Changbin’s bottom lip, swiping at it gently.

“You have beautiful lips. Very hot.”

The air between them seemed to be electric and Minho felt his heart racing in anticipation before leaning forward to press their lips together, a clumsy and uncoordinated kiss until he found the right angle and deepened it, swiping his tongue across Changbin’s lip, causing him to open his mouth in a soft gasp and Minho slipping his tongue into his mouth.

Changbin tasted like toothpaste and was a great kisser, if Minho had to judge. He ran a hand through the hair at the back of Changbin’s head and let out a soft whine against his will when Changbin pulled away from him.

“We shouldn’t… we shouldn’t do this.”

It felt like a bucket of cold water to Minho, sobering him up, and it confused him. Did he not want to kiss Minho because they were drunk? The thought of their conversation in the living room rushed back into his mind and he wanted to slap himself mentally.

_ I have feelings for someone, who will never like me back, so I have no interest in… that. _

Right.

Despite that, Changbin just shifted a little bit to cuddle up to Minho again and Minho’s racing thoughts were soon replaced with dreams when he felt the warmth of Changbin’s body pressed against him.

Minho woke up before Changbin the next morning and decided to let him sleep so he could deal with his embarrassment in peace. When he entered the kitchen, he found their friends already awake and eating breakfast however and postponed his strange attraction to his fake husband for a while.

Everyone was chatting casually about the previous night until Changbin came downstairs and was immediately heckled by his friends for being old now. Amidst the chaos, Jisung pulled Minho out towards the terrace and fixed him with a concerned look.

“It’s good to see you guys are getting along now.”

Minho just nodded in response, not really sure what to say since his words brought back his memory of kissing Changbin last night.

“Are you sure about this though? Are you sure he’s not using you or anything? Is he pressuring you to do anything?”

If Jisung only knew - Minho raised an eyebrow at him. “What are you trying to say? He’s actually pretty nice, contrary to what I thought of him.”

Jisung let out a sigh. “Okay, yeah, but… I just want to make sure that you’re fine you know? Don’t you think he like… has a crush on you or something?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. We just try to make the best out of this situation.”

“What if you fall in love with someone though? Is he forbidding you from seeing someone?”

Somehow this whole interrogation was making Minho angry. “What are you getting at? He’s not like that.”

“Okay, but-”

“No buts! I think it’s better if you go now.” Minho gestured towards the house and caught the others watching them from the corner of his house. “Thank you for coming.”

Once their friends had left, Minho cleaned up the remnants of drinks, snacks and trash from the night before in order to let out his frustration. He was frustrated because he was embarrassed about kissing Changbin. He was confused because there was no reason for him to kiss Changbin except for maybe being a bit sexually frustrated. He was mad because Jisung was just assuming things and bad mouthing Changbin for no reason.

He stopped angrily wiping the coffee table when Changbin put his hand on top of his.

“Can we talk?”

Minho sighed and turned to him. “What?”

“About… yesterday.” Changbin bit his bottom lip nervously and Minho couldn’t help but stare at it, remembering the feeling of Changbin’s lips on his own. “I’m sorry about yesterday.”

“You don’t have to be.” Minho should feel sorry not Changbin.

“What did you and Jisung argue about? We heard you guys talking loudly but couldn’t make out what you were yelling about.”

“Nothing.” He picked up the sponge again to clean the already spotless table once more, but Changbin took it away from him.

“Can you please tell me?”

Minho had no obligation to tell Changbin anything, and yet he did. He told him what they talked about and watched as Changbin’s facial expression morphed into one of guilt.

“I think you should go easy on him…”

“And why should I do that? He’s my friend, he can handle me stating my opinion.”

Changbin’s brows furrowed. “You really don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“That he’s in love with you.”


	8. i’ll pull the stars down from the heavens to fill your empty skies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayoooooo~
> 
> i made a coffee that's about five times stronger than a regular coffee should be by accident and my blood has been replaced by electrictiy now sldkglskdhgl  
> pls come talk to me on tumblr/ig i'm so bored these days :'(
> 
> chapter title is from I'm Yours Tonight by The Academy Is... because I'm still on my emo phase at the moment
> 
> have a great Friday everyone :D

Minho’s mind was still racing when he pulled into Jisung’s driveway and he let out a sigh as he got out of his car. Surely Changbin was mistaken. He had known Jisung for years and nothing ever happened between the two of them so how could Changbin think that Jisung was in love with him?

Nevertheless, he was determined to find out the truth.

At first, Jisung didn’t open the door for Minho even though he knew that the other was home. He rang the doorbell again and again until Jisung eventually gave in and opened the door with a blank expression.

“Did you come here to yell at me some more?”

Minho rolled his eyes in response. “I’m not yelling, am I? What happened earlier? Can you tell me why exactly you dislike Changbin?”

Jisung looked anywhere but directly at Minho when he answered. “Why do you need to know? Can’t I just dislike someone? I thought you didn’t like him either, what happened to that?”

“Don’t be like this. I’m literally married to the guy, isn’t it good that I don’t hate him anymore?”

There was no response other than a shrug from Jisung and Minho couldn’t hold back a frustrated groan.

“C’mon Sungie… what’s going on?”

The use of Jisung’s nickname seemed to change his mood, causing him to flick his eyes up to meet Minho’s in a sad look. That look made Minho’s blood freeze and a feeling of realization dawned on him.

“Do I really need to say it?”

Jisung’s voice was quiet and for a second he looked exhausted, really, extremely, completely drained exhausted.

“Tell me.”

A long moment of silence passed before Jisung sucked in a breath and tried his best to offer Minho a smile.

“You know, it’s really hard being friends with someone you love- that you’re in love with. It’s the hardest thing. But I hear what you are saying and I’m sorry for how I acted. Please give me some time and I will overcome this, okay?”

Jisung’s words chilled Minho to the core and seeing him like this, in pain but trying to put on a happy face, broke his heart. He wasn’t in love with Jisung, never had been and most likely never would be, but Jisung was still one of his best and oldest friends and a person he loved deeply, albeit not romantically.

“Jisung…”

“Don’t. Please don’t say anything. Can we just”, Jisung sighed and shut his eyes for a second. Minho could see he was about to cry when he looked back at him a moment later. “Can we please pretend this conversation never happened?”

Minho didn’t really know what to say but nodded anyway. They just kind of stared at each other for a little while, unsure of how to continue or end the conversation until Minho heard himself speak, not even realizing what he was saying.

“Is that why you don’t like Changbin? Because we are married? Because you know that we are not in love with-”

A sad chuckle escaped Jisung and interrupted Minho. “Are you sure? Are you one hundred percent sure you have no feelings for him, Minho?”

There was one place Minho always went to when times were tough, things were overwhelming and he had to hide away for a moment before he could deal with his problems. Which is why Minho made his way down to his grandmother’s house, who could immediately tell something was wrong when he showed up unannounced and pulled him into her arms.

Once he filled her in on what had happened over a cup of tea and some of her homemade cookies, his grandma sighed and offered him a warm smile.

“It looks like you’re in quite a pickle.”

“I know.”

His grandma let out a chuckle and got up to refill their teas. “So what are you going to do about it?”

Minho gave her a desperate look. “What do you mean?”

“What do you feel for this Changbin boy? Do you like him?”

The question made Minho pause for a moment. It was true that they had gotten closer lately and he enjoyed the skinship and affection he got from Changbin but that didn’t mean that he had any romantic feelings for him. Changbin was nice, he was a kind and good looking guy, but it’s not like Minho was in love with him.

He was quiet for too long and his grandmother let out a laugh. “I see, you’ve got some things to think about. I’ll leave you to it and go watch my show.”

And with those words she left Minho sitting alone at the kitchen table, a half eaten cookie in his hand and too many thoughts in his head.

As the hours passed one after another, Changbin began to get worried and started pacing around the house. Minho said that he would go out to talk to Jisung and it was already late in the evening now and he still hadn’t come home. He thought about sending him a text but didn’t want to annoy Minho and decided against it in the end.

He stayed up until midnight, waiting to see if Minho would come home, but eventually he decided to just crawl into bed and hope that Minho would contact him or come home sometime during the night. For a moment he hesitated in front of Minho’s room, unsure if he could stay there now and wandered down the hallway to his own bedroom, sliding into a bed that felt too cold, big and empty with only him in it.

Changbin was just about to drift off to sleep when his phone vibrated loudly on the nightstand and he scrambled to pick it up when he saw the caller ID. Minho.

“Minho!”

“Hi.”

Minho’s voice sounded tired and quiet and there was some rustling on the other end before his voice came through a little more clearly.

“I’m not at home.”

“I can tell.”

The chuckle coming through the phone sounded just as exhausted as Minho’s voice.

“I won’t be home for a few days. I need to… think about some things.”

Even though Changbin kind of expected him to say it, hearing the words still made his chest feel tight.

“Okay.”

A heavy silence settled between them and Changbin wasn’t sure if Minho had fallen asleep.

“Are you still there?”

“Yeah.”

“Can you…” He wasn’t sure how to ask. “Can you stay on the line until I fall asleep?”

Another pause. “Sure.”

Changbin felt compelled to keep the conversation going, even though the sound of Minho’s voice had made him relax a little bit, enough to make his eyelids flutter closed. 

His words came out a little slurred, already half asleep. “The sky is so empty today, there are no stars…”

Minho stayed on the phone until he heard Changbin’s soft, slow breathing and he was sure that Changbin had fallen asleep. His gaze drifted to the window in his grandmother’s guest room, a black empty night sky just like Changbin had said. It was strange to him now, sleeping alone.

He pulled the blankets a little tighter around himself and caught himself imagining it was Changbin holding him instead of an old blanket.

The realization hit him just as he was falling asleep himself - he was missing Changbin.


	9. let's pretend you're mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyooooo!
> 
> the fanmeet was fun and i already miss them again :(((  
> chapter title is from 4ever by the veronicas bc im old
> 
> hope you're all having a great saturday! :D

Changbin spent the next day trying to distract himself and the day after that having his friends over, telling them about what had happened.

Felix was sprawled out on the couch watching Changbin with a concerned look while Jeongin and Hyunjin fought over the bowl of snacks Changbin put on the coffee table for them.

“I wonder what went down with Jisung and Minho… are you sure you’re okay?”

Changbin nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on his hands. “Sure, I just hope he’s doing alright.”

“Are you…”, Felix trailed off for a moment, trying to find the right words, “do you still have feelings for him? Since at the party you said there’s nothing romantic going on between you two, I was just wondering if you, you know, got over your feelings.”

All three of his friends turned curious gazes onto Changbin and he really didn’t know how to answer that question. He had a crush on Minho before they met at the wedding, just an infatuation, nothing more. But now that he knew him better, his feelings had only intensified. He worried about Minho and he missed Minho and his thoughts all centered around him, every day.

“I really don’t think getting fake married to the guy you’re in love with was a good idea, Bin”, Hyunjin sighed. “I know it wasn’t your idea but your parents, but still.”

Of course he was right. He would have to come clean to Minho sooner or later unless his feelings disappeared and he felt awful for using Minho like this, for loving the affection and attention he got and the other not knowing that it wasn’t fake on Changbin’s part.

Jeongin hummed, seemingly deep in thought. “So what are you going to do now?”

After his friends left, Changbin tried to fill his day with something productive. He cleaned around the house, worked out, organized his clothes and then remembered that him and Minho were supposed to attend another event in the evening - together.

He was about to call up his parents and earn himself a scolding for cancelling when the front door opened and Minho walked in.

Changbin immediately dashed from the kitchen to the door and gave Minho a worried once over, though Minho seemed to be okay, a little tired maybe but otherwise fine.

“Hi.”

It was only one word but hearing Minho’s voice in person again was the sweetest sound to him. Minho tried to smile at him and Changbin’s eyes were momentarily drawn to his lips, remembering their drunken kiss. He felt his heartbeat speed up and tried to calm himself down.

“I’m glad you’re back.”

Minho huffed a small laugh. “Me too.”

Changbin decided not to push for answers about what had happened with Minho - if the other wanted to tell him, he was sure he would. They didn’t really talk much as they got ready for the event, though Changbin offered that they could just stay at home if Minho wasn’t feeling up to it. Minho just said that he felt fine and disappeared into his room, leaving Changbin to get ready himself.

When they met in the living room to wait for their cab to pick them up, Changbin once again had to fight the urge to just push Minho up against a wall and repeat their whole kissing session. Minho always looked great, but he looked especially great now.

“Man, I look stupid next to you”, he muttered under his breath and received a confused look from Minho.

“What do you mean?”

“Uh… you look, you know. Handsome.”

Minho chuckled in response. “Why would you look stupid though?”

Changbin gestured down at himself. “You know. Short, not as handsome as you… my parents always said I should be more like the Lee’s son. Good looking and ambitious.”

He felt more than saw Minho’s hand reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair from his face.

“You look great.”

Changbin tried to remind himself that Minho was just being friendly, nice, they were friends now. But that was hard when Minho’s expression was so soft and his words sounded like honey to Changbin’s ears.

“You  _ are  _ great.”

The party was luckily less stiff than the last even they had attended and people were generally enjoying themselves. Whatever Minho had been struggling with the past few days still seemed to be on his mind and he was quiet for the most part, sticking by Changbin’s side, hand in his.

At some point, Minho had apparently decided to just let loose and kept getting them both drinks until Changbin told him that they should stay at least mostly sober so they wouldn’t embarrass themselves in front of any important people, to which Minho just responded with an eye roll.

They sat through dinner and Changbin caught Minho staring at him for a moment, though when he made eye contact, Minho just averted his gaze, tips of his ears turning red. A moment later, he felt Minho’s hand resting on his knee and Changbin almost dropped the dessert spoon he was holding in surprise.

He looked back at Minho who just kept his focus on the meal in front of him and made polite conversation with the people at their table, seemingly unaware of the effect his actions had on Changbin. Little by little, Minho’s hand would slide higher onto his thigh until Changbin had to reach down and place his own hand on top of Minho’s to stop him.

He leaned over to whisper into Minho’s ear. “What are you doing?”

Minho still didn’t spare him a glance, dabbing at his lips with a napkin. “Come to the bathroom in five minutes.”

He quickly excused himself, got up and left, Changbin watching after him. The other people at their table didn’t really seem interested in striking up a conversation with Changbin and instead focused on continuing their interaction amongst themselves, so no one paid attention when Changbin slid away from the table a few minutes later, a worried knot in his stomach and his heart aching.

As soon as Changbin stepped foot into the bathroom, Minho grabbed him by the tie he was wearing and pushed him into one of the stalls, locking the door behind them.

For a second Changbin thought Minho was about to beat him up, until he saw the look on Minho’s face - worried, desperate, hungry.

“Tell me to stop.”

His voice was quiet and rough and Changbin didn’t know if Minho meant it as an order or a plea. Whatever it was, he didn’t have time to respond before Minho pressed him against the wall, clutching his tie and shirt and crashing their lips together in an uncoordinated kiss.

Changbin’s head was swimming, his heart about to leap right out of his chest and he was paralyzed from the surprise until Minho grabbed his shirt a little tighter, letting out a quiet whine against his lips before kissing him again.

He knew he shouldn’t let this happen. He should stop Minho. This wasn’t right or fair.

But he kissed him back just as desperately, hands grabbing at the hair on the back of Minho’s head and deepening their kiss when Minho pressed himself closer to him.


	10. pour some sugar on me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeeeeyooooo my friends!!
> 
> i hope yall are having a lovely weekend!  
> we're nearing the end on this one jhdgkslksdghl i actually quite enjoyed writing this story!  
> please hmu if you have any ideas/genres/prompts or anything you would like me to write bc my own ideas are boring me big time at the moment :(((
> 
> chapter title is from Pour Some Sugar On Me by Def Leppard - I recommend checking out the cover version The Maine did!
> 
> have a lovely Sunday everyone! :D

They left the party a minute later, bidding their goodbyes and grabbing the first cab, not being able to keep their hands off each other.

Something snapped in Minho - the levee broke, the floodgates opened, and he just couldn’t stop. This wasn’t right, he thought. He was using Changbin. But Changbin didn’t seem to object to him stroking up his thigh and kissing his neck in the backseat so he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind.

The ride passed in a blur and before Minho knew it, they stumbled through the front door and Changbin pushed him up against the wall, undoing his tie with hungry eyes.

“I’m… do you want to stop…?”

The words didn’t register in Minho’s brain at first, he was so focused on Changbin standing in front of him with messy hair and spit slick lips, breath coming a bit faster than normal.

“No.”

Changbin’s eyes met his own for a moment as if he was searching for confirmation in Minho’s and he gave a slight nod, more to himself than to Minho before he leaned forward again, kissing Minho with the same kind of desperation that Minho felt in his bones.

They paused in between kisses to make their way up to the bedroom and Minho had to catch his breath for a moment when he pushed Chanbin down onto his bed, taking him in and licking his lip. He would question why he was doing this. Was he doing this because he had feelings for Changbin? Was he just sexually frustrated? He didn’t know, he was confused. But all of that didn’t matter right now because Changbin pulled him down to kiss him again and let out a soft gasp when Minho straddled him, grinding his hips down onto Changbin.

They pulled away from each other for a moment, both of them reaching out for the other’s pant zippers.

“Can I-”

“Do you mind if I-”

For a second they just stared at each other, a ghost of a laugh escaping them, and sure, tomorrow Minho would question this. But right now, it just felt so  _ right _ .

When Minho woke up, Changbin was still softly snoring next to him, the blanket resting around his waist, his sleep warm chest exposed and illuminated by the morning light’s first sun rays shining on him through the bedroom window. He looked beautiful and Minho couldn’t help the smile dancing across his face.

He reached out to trace over his skin with a featherly light touch, admiring the view and the way Changbin’s face scrunched up from a moment in his sleep. He could get used to this.

While he was basking in the warm and safe glow of the morning though, the nagging voice in the back of his head kept getting louder. This wasn’t just him being frustrated and needing release - no, this was far more dangerous than that. Of course, he found Changbin attractive, found him handsome, but there was an undercurrent of something else there. Somehow, them taking that step last night was like lifting a grey filter from Minho’s eyes. Changbin was so much more than just handsome or attractive. He had always been kind to Minho, understanding, and had always tried to become friends with him.

Friends. Changbin was in love with someone else and wasn’t looking for a relationship. He had to remind himself that he couldn’t get greedy now. This wasn’t just his marriage, this was also Changbin’s. He let out a deep breath and retracted the hand that had been tracing swirly patterns onto Changbin’s skin.

Right. Friends.

Changbin was alone in the bed when he woke up the next morning. Still sleep drunk, his mind replayed the previous night and he threw an arm across his eyes, letting out a groan.

Any and all remaining hopes of getting over his feelings for Minho were shattered. Minho made him feel loved, not just last night but in general. Sure, he could be a bit cold, but he did all these little things that made Changbin’s heartbeat speed up and if it was up to Changbin, he would love to just kiss his face all day every day.

Before he could get lost in this ideal scenario, he reminded himself that what happened last night was most likely the result of whatever Minho was struggling with and the alcohol they drank at the party. He really shouldn’t get carried away like this. He sighed as he slid out of bed and made his way to the shower.

When he joined Minho in the kitchen half an hour later, Minho was greeting him with a smile, though his ears were bright red and he gestured nervously at the mug in front of him.

“Coffee.” He cleared his throat. “It might be cold now though…”

Changbin returned a smile and sat down across from Minho, taking a sip. “It’s okay, I like cold coffee.”

Minho bit his lip and nodded, looking down at the table when he spoke. “About yesterday…”

This was it. This was what Changbin had been expecting and dreading since he woke up. Minho was feeling regretful about last night.

“I’m sorry for attacking you like that.”

Changbin raised his eyebrows at Minho. This wasn’t exactly what he thought Minho would say. Minho took a deep breath but still didn’t meet Changbin’s eyes.

“I talked with Jisung. You know that. You were right about him having feelings for me, though I don’t have any for him. Romantic feelings I mean. But I had some things to think about…”

He trailed off and Changbin waited for him to continue. Right now, he felt like he should just stay silent and listen to what Minho had to say.

“You can say no. Please say no if you don’t want to. But I think it would be good for us to… you know. Have a sexual relationship like, once a month or so? I mean… it would be, healthy I guess? I just… yeah.”

Changbin could hear his heartbeat in his ears and he was quiet for so long that Minho eventually looked up at him with a worried expression. Truth be told, Changbin didn’t know what to say. Of course he would love that but it just felt strange doing this kind of stuff for the wrong reasons. He was going to fall, fall, fall, deeper in love with Minho every time. And he would end up hurting. And yet.

“Okay. Once a month sounds okay.”

Once a month was not okay. They went about their days as usual, though it seemed that Minho had finally accepted the love, or rather friendship, that Changbin had offered him all this time. Which meant that on their off days from work, they would usually meet up with their friends together or do things together, whether they went on a spontaneous trip or just stayed home and watched tv. Thankfully, it seemed that Jisung and Minho were still on good terms and while their first meeting together was a bit awkward, things were soon back to normal.

Unfortunately though, Minho saying they should hook up once a month meant that this was pretty much the only thing on Changbin’s mind, every single day. There was a tension in the air that Minho probably was not aware of but that set every single one of Changbin’s nerve endings on fire. Every little innocuous touch he got from Minho made his heart race, his skin warm, and he thought that the last time he had ever taken that many cold showers was when he entered puberty.

It was a Friday, exactly two weeks before The Next Time and Changbin offered to help Minho with cooking dinner even though the other insisted that he could do it alone. The truth was, Changbin had been watching Minho cook for about ten minutes before he decided that he needed something to do instead of drooling all over the kitchen counters because Minho looked sexy while cooking and that was doing things to him.

“Fine, you can dice these. Just cut them into little cubes.” Minho gestured over to the vegetables on the countertop next to him while he was cutting up strips of meat.

Changbin nodded in understanding, though unfortunately his lack of cooking experience came back to bite him in the ass when he stared thoughtfully at the vegetables, unsure of how to properly cut them up so they would be all the same size. He heard Minho let out a sigh next to him before he felt him pressed against his back, arms coming up on either side of his waist to reach out and cover Changbin’s.

He couldn’t help but freeze at the sudden close contact and his body went into autopilot as Minho moved their hands to show Changbin how to cut them up. 

“Like this, you see?” Changbin swallowed at the low sound of Minho’s voice, his breath ghosting over Changbin’s neck. “Just like… that…”

His movements stopped as his voice faltered and for a moment they were just left standing there, Minho embracing Changbin, neither of them being able to move or say a word.

The boiling pot on the stove broke them out of their trance a second later and Minho pulled away from him to walk over to it while Changbin cleared his throat.

“Got it, chief.”

He couldn’t really focus on the vegetables after that, but he was lucky enough to leave the kitchen with all ten fingers still intact.

Five days. Five more days.

Changbin opened his eyes and blinked sleepily over to the window, raindrops slowly sliding down the window pane against the backdrop of an overcast, grey sky.

His eyes trailed over to the sleeping Minho next to him who had messy hair covering his eyes, lips slightly parted, one hand carelessly flung across Changbin’s waist. With a soft smile, Changbin gently brushed the hair out of Minho’s face, earning him fluttering eyelids until Minho tiredly looked at him.

“G’mornin…”

Changbin didn’t know what it was. Maybe it was Minho’s half open eyes, maybe it was the sound of his voice still rough from sleep, maybe it was the way Minho’s skin felt against his own wherever they were pressed together, maybe it the way he slurred his words. But one, or all, of these things made Changbin break his resolve, tilt his head forward and press his lips against Minho’s. It was like a drug, once he started he just couldn’t stop kissing him, until he was sitting atop Minho, one hand tangled in Minho’s hair, one cupping his cheek, both of them panting, their faces so close their noses kept bumping into each other.

Something pulled him out of his haze and Changbin leaned back with wide eyes. Minho looked confused and blinked at him rapidly.

“Sorry… I’m sorry.”

And with that, he dashed out of Minho’s room and ran over to his own, throwing the door shut behind him. He needed this to stop. 


	11. two is better than one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!!! :D
> 
> thank you so much for sticking with this story, i have a bit of a soft spot for it sdlkhglsk  
> and thank you so so much for all your lovely comments!! :')
> 
> chapter title for this one comes from Two Is Better Than One by Boys Like Girls
> 
> hope you enjoy it and i hope you have a great start to the week! :)

Minho just couldn’t figure it out. First, Changbin woke him up with a makeout session and then he just completely distanced himself from Minho to the point where he only saw Changbin a total of five times in the following two weeks.

He didn’t speak to Minho, didn’t spend time with him, slept in his own bed.

When he brought this up to his friends, they seemed confused as well.

“Do you think he just doesn’t find me attractive? Like he said before that he’s in love with someone maybe he just likes that person more…”

Chan eyed him with a raised eyebrow while he brought everyone appetizers from the kitchen. They had gathered at Chan’s place this time and Seungmin and Jisung were more than happy to give their own opinions.

“Please, you’re plenty attractive.” Jisung waved his concerns off. “I’m saying this as a friend!”

Seungmin scratched his chin as he thought about it. “Maybe he kissed you sober to make sure if he actually liked it the first time or if he was just drunk?”

Chan threw one of the couch pillows at Seungmin before reaching for a pizza roll. “That’s stupid. Why don’t you just ask him?”

“And say what? Hey, by the way why don’t you want to bone me?”

Jisung snorted. “Maybe not like that. I mean, have you told him that you love him yet?”

“Have I… what?”

Chan let out a sigh. “Come on, Minho. Do we really have to spell it out for you?”

As Minho’s mother sat down in the small, mostly empty, café, Changbin tried to calm his nerves by tapping his fingers against his knees under the table.

Minho’s mother gave him a polite smile that he returned weakly.

“Thank you for meeting with me.”

“Anytime, my son-in-law.” She flagged down the waiter to order a coffee, then turned her attention back to Changbin. “What did you want to ask?”

Changbin took a deep breath. He needed to make this serious, show no weakness. “I wanted to ask you if there is any way a divorce would be a possibility while still keeping the business deal my family and yours have in place.”

Minho was on his way home from Chan’s place when his phone rang. He reluctantly picked it up when he saw that it was his mother, bracing himself for a scolding that some sixth sense told him he was about to receive.

His mother’s voice was cold and stern when he answered the phone. “What did you do, Minho?”

Minho pulled into a parking lot to be able to talk with her without having to focus on the traffic. “Hi to you too, Mom. I didn’t do anything, what are you talking about?”

There was an exasperated sigh on the other end of the line. “Minho. Why did Seo Changbin sit down with me today at lunch to ask about a divorce? What the hell did you do?”

The words hit Minho like a ton of bricks and for a second he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Changbin asked for a divorce. Changbin didn’t want to be in this fake marriage anymore. Now his behavior made sense.

His mother was still saying something but all of Minho’s thoughts were filled with Changbin. His chest felt too tight, like his heart was being squeezed into a too small cage. He was hurt.

The front door flung open and Changbin’s eyes flicked over from the couch to the entrance to see Minho stomp angrily into the house, throwing the door closed behind him and kicking off his shoes before rushing over to where Changbin was sitting.

“What the fuck?! What the actual fuck, Changbin?!”

Changbin scrambled off the couch and tried to back away from Minho until his back hit the dining table.

“How could you?! How could you go behind my back and ask my god damn mother for a divorce? Why couldn’t you just fucking talk to me?”

Minho grabbed him by the hem of his shirt angrily and now that he was standing an inch away from Changbin, he could see that Minho was crying, or at least about to. His eyes were glassy and red and his voice was cracking as he yelled at Changbin.

“Answer me!”

Changbin swallowed hard, trying to find his voice, his words.

“I- I…”

“You what?!”

A lone tear fell from Minho’s eye, trailing down his cheek as a sob ripped out of him.

“I-I’m sorry…”, Changbin stammered and he felt his heart hurt, his head spin. “I just. I can’t do this anymore.”

Minho suddenly let go of him, all the anger leaving his body, seemingly filled with exhaustion and disappointment instead.

When he spoke again, his voice was quiet. “Why?” he let out a tear stricken, weak laugh. “Why do you want to end our fake marriage, huh? Come on, tell me at least. You owe me that much.”

“Because it isn’t fake for me.”

Changbin felt his own tears well up in his eyes and looked away from Minho, trying to look anywhere but Minho’s face.

“Because I love you, and I’ve loved you from the start and because this isn’t just a friends with benefits thing for me. Because it’s not fair for me to take all of these things when you don’t feel the same.”

He expected Minho to yell at him, punch him, anything. But there was only silence.

“Changbin.”

He didn’t have the guts to look at Minho, couldn’t turn his head to meet his eyes.

“Changbin, look at me.”

Minho seemed to wait for a moment before he got impatient and grabbed Changbin’s chin to turn his head and face him.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

Now that Changbin was looking at Minho, it seemed as though all the fight in him had been replaced with a hesitant softness. Minho’s facial expression was neutral but his eyes seemed sad.

“I thought you hated me.”

Minho sucked in a breath and closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again. “I did. But then you were all… you. Nice and kind and funny and good looking and amazing…”

A faint flicker of hope spread through Changbin. Minho’s hand left his chin and he ran it through his hair.

“You said you loved someone… was that me?”

All Changbin could do was nod dumbly and Minho let out a long sigh, pulling him closer.

“I love you too, you fucking idiot.” He pressed a firm kiss to Changbin’s lips and wrapped him into a tight hug. “We’re not getting a damn divorce.”

**Author's Note:**

> please lemme know your thots! :D
> 
> have an extra fresh day/night!


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